THE NEBRASKA CYCLE.

is a series of ten plays written by A.P. Andrews about life in modern-day rural Nebraska. Set in the fictional small town of Jaconda, Nebraska, the ten plays explore a range of social themes that are pressing and relevant to Middle America. Together, the plays help to paint a clearer picture of the inhabitants of a rural Nebraska community as they try to find their place in the world around them. Epic in scope, the entire collection is set to be completed by December 2017. More information about the plays can be found below.﻿

ABBY IN THE SUMMER

During her last summer at home, a waitress at a small-town diner falls in love with a local farm boy, causing her life to fly perilously off track. A motley crew of diner regulars attempt to guide Abby as she tries to seize control of her own destiny- all while remaining true to herself and where she comes from. Abby in the Summer is a coming-of-age story for modern day Middle America, touching on themes of young love, regret, and ultimately, self discovery. 3f, 4m. - Full length drama.

BURNING BARN

Ethel Hawkins is trying desperately to hold her family together after a fire takes their home, but that isn't her biggest problem. Her husband Van is having an affair with a younger woman, her daughter Jenny wants to move away to the city, and her son Timothy is in love with a girl much too popular for him. Set against a background of tragedy, Burning Barn is a study of family, of boredom, of adultery, of repressed anger, of young love, of hope, and of the ties that bind. 3f, 4m. - Full length drama.

THE GIRL WITH THE RED BALLOON

Officer Bill Casey already has a lot on his plate: an upcoming election for county sheriff, a mid-life crisis creeping in, and on top of all that, a newborn baby on the way. But when a mysterious little girl appears at the gas station south of town and strange things start to happen in the community, Bill is brought face to face with the one thing he fears most. This is a side of the Great Plains you've never seen before- a dark and haunting tale about confronting change and looking fear in the eye.﻿ 3f, 3m. - Full length thriller.

TAILGATES

Nine friends return to their favorite party spot- the tailgate of a rusty pickup truck parked on top of a hill on the outskirts of town- to celebrate their 5-year high school reunion. As the "out-of-towners" begin to trickle back in for the festivities, old rivalries and love affairs return as well. Juicy gossip, a barbeque grill and plenty of beer are all the ingredients of a typical class reunion- until he night takes an explosive turn that none of them will soon forget. ﻿5f, 5m. - Full length drama.

THREE MORE SUNDAYS

Reverend Thompson is a tired, tired man. After leading the flock of Jaconda First Methodist for eleven years, he begins to think it may be time for a short vacation in order to focus again on what is important. Standing between him and that vacation, however, are three services that may turn out to be the most important ones of his life. A play about taking each day as it comes, about forgiveness, and about letting go. 7f, 4m. - Full length musical comedy.

METH AND KISSES

Jessie works hard to make sure her family is comfortable and happy- by dealing drugs via her 8-year-old daughter, Bee, who believes she is delivering care packages to war veterans. But when Bee is abducted/falls in love with a hopped-up cross dresser named Daryl and decides they're going to get hitched, it's up to Jessie to get her back. And to do so, she'll need to start thinking a bit more like her customers. 2f, 4m, 1 either. Full length dark comedy/thriller.

CECIL AND ROSE

﻿Cecil is a quiet resident of the nursing home just north of town, content to spend the rest of his years in peace and quiet. But when Rose moves in down the hall, she has other plans- and with the gentle prodding of a divorced, guitar-strumming music therapist named Cindy, the two begin a relationship that will last until their stay at the center comes to a close.

HOMESTEADS

Mac, an Indian American archaeologist from Minnesota, quits his job at a well-regarded University and moves his two young children to Nebraska after separating from his wife. A pioneer family becomes stranded as they attempt to ferry their patriarch to warmer climates down south. A Native American Chief and his daughter lead their tribe in to all out war. As Mac's family struggles to adapt to a new way of life, these three stories begin to collide until we are left with one question: If the land we live on can never be tamed and every mark we leave will one day be forgotten, then what exactly are we here for in the first place?

MARIA BARONE COMES HOME

﻿Maria Barone's Mom is thrilled to be throwing a welcome back party after her second tour in Afghanistan comes to a close. But everyone in Jaconda- including Maria's fiance- is surprised to learn upon her return that their hometown hero has come home a deeply troubled woman- troubled not only by a tour filled with death and destruction, but also by a new lover she's found along the way. 3f, 2m. Full length drama.

WINTER VISITS

For the first time in what seems like years, Rhonda Matthews is having company over. What her guests don't know is that throughout the course of their conversations, Rhonda is gently sizing up whether today may be her last day spent in the farmhouse she's called home for almost sixty years.